2026 Events at the Earth Guardian Pavilion, Burning Man

Thursday – August 27, 2026

10:00 AM – Noon – LNT Outreach/ Compliance Team Training –  Since 2013, Earth Guardians have been doing LNT outreach checking for oil drips, grey water spills, black water spills and burn barrel problems. We are checking for permit violations and are sharing LNT tips to resolve issues. It’s a great opportunity to have ‘boots on the ground’ and share LNT love! This is our first training for our volunteers on the team, and a meal will be provided for the training.

Saturday – August 29, 2026

10:00 AM – Noon – LNT Outreach/ Resolution Team Training –  Since 2013, Earth Guardians have been doing LNT outreach, checking for oil drips, grey water spills, black water spills and burn barrel problems. We are both LNT advisors and ambassadors.  It’s a great opportunity to have ‘boots on the ground’ and share LNT love and we’re doing it again this year!  This is a training for our volunteers on the team, and a meal will be provided for the training.

Sunday – August 30, 2026

10:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Advanced LNT Outreach/Resolution Training – Advanced training for volunteers taking on the Team Lead Position. We’ll review team lead responsibilities, use of the Fulcrum tablet app and do some field testing to practice using the application before Monday’s shift.  This is a training for volunteers on the team.

3:00 PM– 4:00 PM – EG Manager’s Meeting

4:45 PM– 5:00 PM – All Camp Photo (EG Campers only) – meet at the front of the Earth Guardian Pavilion for a camp photo!

5:00 PM– 6:30 PM – All Hands on Deck Camp Meeting (EG Campers only) – All Earth Guardian campers are requested to attend this meeting to meet each other, go over the camp set up, coverage of camp shifts, and the event schedule for the week.

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Howdy Party (EG Campers only)– Bring your pot luck dish to share and get to know your fellow campers. Help feed the Aztec Burners after the ceremony to the temple.

Monday – August 31, 2026

9:00 AM – 9:30 PM – Morning Prayers with Aztec Burner – Introduction to Nichiren Buddhism with the recitation of the Lotus Sutra 

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM – Blessing of the Temple – Join Earth Guardians and Aztec dancers on a procession to the temple to offer a blessing.

Tuesday – September 1, 2026

6:30 AM – 8:30 AM – Experience Deep Time on the Playa Bike Tour – This is your opportunity to contemplate Deep Time while on the playa. Your journey will be led by geology experts Drs. Elizabeth Miller (Stanford U) and John Dilles (Oregon SU). Bike to the outer playa to contemplate the history of this place we call home, from the deep time geologic framework to the ice ages, first human inhabitants in the region, post-glacial warming and inexorable warming of the Anthropocene era. Burn baby burn! P.S. Deep Time = Geologic Time.

9:30 PM– 10:30 PM – Coffee and Tea with the Bee (EG Campers only) – meet at Bee’s hive for lattes and chai!

10:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Earth Guardians Open Bar –  Come try a Playarita, an icy slushie or just some cool water

11:00 PM- 2:00 PM – Alternative Energy Demo Garden – Showcasing innovative alternative energy devices from the Burning Man community.  

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – History of Leave No Trace & Its Relationship to Burning Man –  Explore how the principle of Leave No Trace came to be one of the core foundations of Burning Man culture with a talk by a certified LNT master. Learn how radical self-expression and environmental responsibility coexist on the playa and why leaving no trace is essential to preserving both the landscape and the spirit of Burning Man. 

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM – Unearthing Data Centers – The connection between AI, data centers, lithium mining and Nevada’s land. Talk by Violeta Caleca.

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM – Playa Sunset Bike Tour –  Join our desert expert on a 5-mile journey exploring the subtle geomorphic wonders that form Black Rock City’s backdrop. See how our city and art affects the environment, and how Burning Man strives to Leave No Trace. 

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Sunset Song Circle – As the sun drifts toward the horizon and the dust turns gold, we gather in the old way. Bring your voice. Bring your strings. Bring the songs that have traveled through campfires, kitchens, back roads, front porches, and forgotten generations. Together we’ll weave an evening of folk melodies, wandering ballads, sacred harmonies, and stories carried on the wind. No performers. No audience. Only a circle. As daylight fades and the first stars awaken above the playa, we’ll sing into the gathering twilight—offering our voices to the desert, to each other, and to whatever mysteries dance between.

Wednesday – September 2, 2026

6:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Playa Sunrise Bike Tour – The “golden hour” after dawn is prime for wildlife spotting. Tour the deep playa, find “Golden MOOP” at the trash fence. Cameras, and binoculars are welcome.

9:00 AM – 9:30 AM – Morning prayers with Aztec Burner, Xico – Intro to Nichiren Buddhism with the recitation of the Lotus Sutra.

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM –  The Nine Consciousnesses and the Revolution Within  – Explore the profound teachings of Nichiren Daishonin Buddhism through the lens of the Nine Consciousnesses — a framework for understanding the layers of human awareness, from everyday perception to the deepest wellspring of wisdom and compassion. This presentation will introduce how these principles illuminate the causes of suffering, the potential for personal revolution, and practical ways to access one’s highest life condition amidst the chaos and beauty of modern existence.

10:00 AM – 8 PM – Earth Guardians open bar

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Behind the Green Curtain Bike Tour – An interpretive bike tour of Recycle Camp and some Green camps featuring innovations to make Black Rock City more environmentally friendly.

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Magic Moop Mobile – Hitch a ride in style to the trash fence and other moopy areas of BRC on an Earth Guardian Magic Moop Mobile. See what Matter Out Of Place you may find to put in your free hand made MOOP bag.

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Alternative Energy Demo Garden – Showcasing innovative alternative energy devices from the Burning Man community.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Geology of the Black Rock Desert – Ever wondered about those amazing land forms around Black Rock City? Come and learn how they were formed and what they’re about. Come and learn about the rocks from our expert geologist.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM  – Living in the Anthropocene: What’s all this Plastic?!? Plastics: we love them and hate them. They provide hygienic food and medical supplies and state-of-the-art materials for homes, vehicles, recreation, fashion, art and convenience, but they come with a huge environmental price that we are only starting to pay. A brief introduction and history of plastics will be presented, followed by considerations of the health, environmental and societal issues related to current plastic use.   Get the real story on biosourced, compostable, and recyclable plastics, without the Greenwashing! Professor Rebecca Braslau, University of California Santa Cruz.

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM The Structures of our Energy Transition –  Drawing on chemistry, urbanism, and infrastructure, we’ll examine the green energy transition’s impacts on Nevada’s public lands. Trained in architecture and urbanism, Violet Caleca presents her research on public lands and dried lake beds in western Nevada – landscapes which contain the necessary minerals for energy infrastructure. Looking at geology, the built environment, and laws governing public land use, Violet analyses the barriers to an equitable green energy transition and the problem with adopting sustainability practices around systems/structures that arose out of fossil fuel capitalism. 

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM: Playa Sunset Bike Tour – Join our desert expert on a 5-mile journey exploring the subtle geomorphic wonders that form Black Rock City’s backdrop. See how our city and art affects the environment, and how Burning Man strives to Leave No Trace.  

Thursday – September 3, 2026

10:00 AM– 11:00 AM –  Stabilizing the Climate: the role of a planetary sunshade – For the past three years, Morgan has led a research team investigating how to build a space-based sunshade to directly cool the planet. Working with climate scientists and aerospace engineers, we have a much more complete picture than ever before. Come hear the latest findings. 

10:00 AM – 8 PM – Earth Guardians open bar

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM  – Magic Moop Mobile  – Hitch a ride in style to the trash fence at the outer limits of BRC on an Earth Guardian Magic Moop Mobile.  See what treasures you may find to put in your free hand-made MOOP bag. 

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Alternative Energy Demo Garden – Showcasing innovative alternative energy devices from the Burning Man community. 

11:30 AM -12:30 PM Feeding Black Rock City –  What if Black Rock City could teach us how to better feed cities? BRC is one of the most ambitious temporary cities ever created: a large-scale experiment in community infrastructure creativity and radical collaboration. But beyond art, energy and mobility lies another essential system that remains largely overlooked: food. What if Black Rock City could teach us how to better feed cities? 

This talk explores how food systems may represent one of the greatest opportunities for accelerating sustainability resilience and behavior change, at Burning Man and far beyond. From regenerative sourcing and collaborative kitchens to compost systems, food waste reduction, direct-trade networks, food banks, and shared resource models between camps, Charles Michel proposes a vision for food as critical civic infrastructure beyond mere survival or hedonistic consumption. The talk will introduce the emerging BRC Food Systems initiative: a collaborative effort to support camp leads, kitchen teams and food stewards in building more conscious circular and regenerative food practices across Black Rock City. Part of this vision includes exploring how Fly Ranch could evolve into a living prototype for regenerative food systems connected to Black Rock City, supporting experimentation in community agriculture, composting, soil regeneration, food production, and circular flows between land, kitchens and the life of our beloved temporary city. 

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM – The Black Rock Desert: Our Inspiring Home! – Come learn about the vast Black Rock Desert and what makes it come alive. Learn about playa dust, wilderness areas, Native Americans, historic emigrant trails, wildlife, wild horses, & more. Come with questions! Presented by Friends of Black Rock-High Rock.

2:30- 3:30 – Radical Wheels: Climate, Dust & Discovery – Bike tours in Death Valley & Brazil & how to plan a long-distance bike trip.  With Kurstin Graham

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Happy Hour with Friends of the Black Rock Desert.- Their 25th anniversary! All invited to meet and socialize with these stewards for our public lands.

5:00 PM – 7:30 PM – Playa Sunset Bike Tour – Join desert experts on a 5 mile journey exploring the subtle geomorphic wonders that form Black Rock City’s backdrop. See how our city and art effects the environment, and how Burning Man strives to Leave No Trace.

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM – Aztec Dance to Honor Mother Earth and the Four Directions –Aztec dancers with rare, traditional instrument accompanists will renew our connection to earth, wind, fire and water. Dances will be explained while connecting us to nature; we will end with a friendship community dance circle which all are encouraged to join.

9:00 PM – 1:00 AM – Latin Dance Party – Salsa, Reggaeton, Cumbia, Afro-influenced beats hosted by the Aztec Burners.

Science Friday On the Playa– September 4, 2026

6:30 AM – 8:30 AM: Playa Sunrise Bike Tour – The “golden hour” after dawn is prime for wildlife spotting. Tour the deep playa with our naturalist guide. Bring your questions.  Cameras and binoculars are welcome.

10:00 AM – Noon – Solar MOOP Art – Make a frameable, souvenir, take-home, cyanotype sunprint of playa MOOP you have collected. Come early & bring your MOOP! 

10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Behind the Green Curtain Bike Tour – An interpretive bike tour of Recycle Camp and some Green camps featuring innovations to make Black Rock City more environmentally friendly.

10:00 AM – 8 PM – Earth Guardians open bar

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Magic Moop Mobile – Hitch a ride in style to the trash fence and other moopy areas of BRC on an Earth Guardian Magic Moop Mobile. See what Matter Out Of Place you may find to put in your free hand made MOOP bag.

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Alternative Energy Demo Garden – Showcasing innovative alternative energy devices from the Burning Man community.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Geology of the Black Rock Desert – Ever wondered about those amazing land forms around Black Rock City? Come and learn how they were formed and what they’re about. Come and learn about the rocks from our expert geologist.

1:00 PM – 2:00 PM Indigenous-led Rights of Nature – Discussion about how the Rights of Nature movement continues to shape law and policy and how it supports Indigenous rights and self-determination. A movement that is positioned to address the polycrises around the world and root us in Earth based values and practices.

2:30 -3:30 PM – Lithium in Nevada: The geology, mining plans, and environmental and social impacts of lithium extraction for the green energy transition. Nevada hosts two giant lithium deposits hosted in claystone sedimentary rocks associated with ancient volcanos, and these projects have received federal and private investment funds to assist their development. Additionally,  environmental, NGO, and Native American groups have resisted these plans. This talk will present a summary of the geology (which the presenter has studied) and mining plans, and lead to a discussion of the environmental/social issues. These issues for lithium are similar to many others regarding the green energy transition, in that there are potentially significant costs and challenges, and it will take great effort to reach the 2050 goal.

7:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Sunset Song Circle – As the sun drifts toward the horizon and the dust turns gold, we gather in the old way. Bring your voice. Bring your strings. Bring the songs that have traveled through campfires, kitchens, back roads, front porches, and forgotten generations. Together we’ll weave an evening of folk melodies, wandering ballads, sacred harmonies, and stories carried on the wind. No performers. No audience. Only a circle. As daylight fades and the first stars awaken above the playa, we’ll sing into the gathering twilight—offering our voices to the desert, to each other, and to whatever mysteries dance between.

Saturday- September 5, 2026

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Imagining America: Sustainable Food Systems and Systems thinking – What if food could regenerate communities, ecosystems, and our future? Join us for Imagining America, a conversation exploring sustainable food systems, local resilience, regenerative agriculture, and bold visions for feeding a changing world. This interactive talk invites dreamers, builders, farmers, artists, and change makers to imagine what’s possible when we rethink how food is grown, shared, and valued. Come hungry for ideas.

10:00 AM – 3 PM – Earth Guardians open bar

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Magic Moop Mobile – Hitch a ride in style to the trash fence and other moopy areas of BRC on an Earth Guardian Magic Moop Mobile. See what Matter Out Of Place you may find to put in your free hand made MOOP bag.

11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Alternative Energy Demo Garden – Showcasing innovative alternative energy devices from the Burning Man community.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Grow Your Own Food and How to Get Started – Starting with compost, turn your dirt to soil, growing in containers and small places, on the cheap. With Tony Gonzales. 

Sunday – September 6, 2025

6:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Coffee on the Man – As if last night wasn’t enough, the Man just keeps on giving. Kick-start your day with a hot hit of caffeine with Earth Guardians at our annual “Coffee on the Man” (or what’s left of him). There, on a pocket of hot coals, we brew up authentic Nevada Basque-style Cowboy Coffee in large enamelware pots. We have enough water for 15 gallons and serve it piping hot until it’s all gone. It’s plain old back Joe, although we will have powdered milk as creamer and Splenda for sweetener. Be sure to bring your favorite coffee cup. And maybe a camera for the sunrise, although your eyes will do just fine.

7:00 AM  – Take Down the Pavilion!  – (EG Campers only)- All hands on deck requested!

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Earth Guardian Pot Luck (EG Campers only)- Campers, come and share some food with your fellow campers at the Earth Guardian village.  Bring what ever you have left to share!